This Kiss
by dozenrose
Summary: Serena is an innocent young college student dreaming about her first kiss in the South of France. With the help of some much needed sunscreen, Darien, a gorgeous Italian, comes to fulfill her fantasies
1. The meeting

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: This is to all my friends who has not yet given up on me despite my stubbornness.  
  
Chapter 1-The V Club  
  
Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Serena Tsukino and I am the oldest member of the V club. What is the V club? Well, several things, but in this case, it stands for Virgin Lip club. I am 19 years old and never been kissed. No, I'm not hideously ugly or horrendously antisocial. I do not have any strange diseases that I know of. I'm 5'2", fairly slender with long blond hair that ends right below my knees. Big blue eyes and a loud month complete the reasonably attractive package.  
  
So why? Well, I'm not sure. I don't know what I'm waiting for, but I can't give up on that perfect kiss. My volleyball playing, ballet dancing best friend, Mina likes to scold me about this. Her opinion is that dating is not hard and I should just get off my butt and do it. Well Mina, you've been dating your fiancé for 3 years now and you are an ex-cheerleader, who is now a sorority girl, what do you know about the hardships of dating? My friend Lita thinks it's because dating is not rocket science that I don't do it. I don't know about that either.  
  
As you must all understand, having your friends nag you about your love life or lack of it is just not a lot of fun, so I escaped to France. Okay, I'm not really escaping my friends, it's just my vacation. I'm now alone on the beaches of Nice, in the south of France. The beaches are beautiful, the water is sparkling blue, the sun is shining, and I'm feeling good and getting tanned with a nice corny romance novel.   
  
Of course, like everything else in life, there's a cloud for every silver lining. I have to get some sun block on my back before I become as red as my bikini. The problem with not having friends around is that you don't have anyone to put sun block on your back. Oh well, I'm flexible, if I could just bend my arms a little more. Ahhh!  
  
Suddenly, I hear a deep voice with an Italian accent "Excuse me, do you need some help?" I look up, startled and stare straight at the most beautiful six pack I've ever seen. (I have a thing for guys with good abs. 6 packs = HOT) My eyes travel up and is instantly captured by his sparkling toothy smile and sapphire eyes. Wow, what an Italian!  
  
His smile is starting to waver, probably because I've been a gaping idiot for the last minute and a half. "You do speak English right? Parlez vous francais?"   
  
I snap out of my trance and reply (at last), "I'm sorry, yes I speak English and French, hmmm, what were you asking?". Good job, Serena, way to be an American blond bimbo (mental scolding).  
  
"I asked if you wanted some help? I don't think arms are meant to twist that way on human beings", the Italian Adonis quietely reminds me.   
  
"Oh! Hmmm, sure". I know, no talking or associating with strangers in a foreign countries without references from trusted sources, but he mesmerized me. What can I tell you, I instinctively trust Italian gods?   
  
"Will you turn around?", he asks. I snap out of my thoughts once again and obediently turn my back towards him. As he rubs the cold smooth cream into my back, I try to suppress my shivers. He has good hands, large, warm, and strong. I tell myself to stop this train of thought, because it's not a good idea.   
  
"So, I should introduce myself...my name is Darien. My father was American, which is why I speak English, but my mother is Italian and I grew up in Italy. I speak a little French though, enough to get around anyway since my friends and I vacation here every summer. What about you?" he says.  
  
"Oh yeah, well my name is Serena and I can't believe I'm letting a guy whose name I don't even know put sunblock on my back. No offense, I'm sure you're not an ax murderer or anything, it's just not a good policy. Okay, anyway, I'm an American and I just finished summer school in Paris, so I'm here on vacation.", comes my bumbling reply.   
  
"Well, I'm all done here", he turns me around gently and places a gentle kiss on each of my cheeks. "Enchante, Serena, now we're not strangers anymore and I promise you that I'm not a criminal", he says with a meltingly sweet smile on his face.  
  
"Okay", was the only reply I can think of.   
  
"Can I buy you a Coke, I heard you Americans are addicted to that stuff.", he then winks charmingly and offers me his hand.   
  
I place my hand into his and simply nod. I've always hoped I'd meet someone in Europe, but I really didn't expect to. 


	2. The beginning

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: To my friend, "Mina", who will be a dancing rocket scientist.  
  
Chapter 2-The Coke  
  
So, here I am, sitting at a charming outdoor cafe by the beach or as the french say Le Promenade Les Etats Unis (the American walk, essentially). The day is young and I am sipping a diet coke, enjoying the weather, and the gorgeous Italian. What? Gorgeous Italian?   
  
Yes, my friends, I have a date, an impromptu one, but a date nonetheless. You would all be so proud of me. I'm pretty proud of myself, I'm with a gorgeous Italian, Darien, who is not a criminal ( he assured me himself.  
  
"So, my friend Ami thinks that all Italians men have one thing in common...", here comes my attempt at conversation.   
  
"What's that?" he replies with a small smirk.  
  
"That they all schedule a time everyday to find someone to make out with. Did meeting me fit into that time slot?" I told you I had a loud mouth, I can't help it.  
  
"Hmmm...", he blushes, "I don't have a schedule, not really...", he stammers.  
  
I can't help but laugh, he is so adorable. "I'm just kidding. Even if I did fit into your schedule, I didn't expect you to admit it. Ami can be pretty cynical sometimes", I reply, letting him off the hook.  
  
Relief is evident on his face, whether that means he's guilty or he is just uncomfortable, the world will never know. I giggle on the inside, this is so much fun.  
  
"So, what do you study, Serena?", he asks.  
  
"My major is computer engineering and my minors are french, math, and business administration", I had that line memorized since my first month of college (wink).  
  
"Wow! I am only studying to be a doctor", he says.  
  
"Only! That's a huge responsibility, I only have to deal with computers and maybe make some business deals. No one in their right mind should or would trust me to cut open a human being!", I exclaim.  
  
He laughs, it is a deep smooth laugh. It is very warm and his eyes are twinkling. God, I'm so corny, I read way too many romance novels.   
  
"Well, I really would like to help people in my life and I love learning about how things work.   
The human body is the most complex and perfect machine I have ever seen. It's a pleasure to learn about it and knowing that my knowledge can really help someone makes it even better", he says.  
  
I try to supress my dreamy sigh. "It's definitely my turn to say wow. Do you study in Italy?"  
  
"Well, I have been, I finished my college education in Rome. But for med school, I'm going to study in America", he says.  
  
"Really, where in the states?", I'm praying he says California, it's a big state.  
  
He smiles, it seems like he is in a dream, "I've always dreamed of studying there. I'm going to CA and I'll be studying at Stanford."  
  
"So am I, well, I'm at Berkeley right now, but I hope to study at Stanford when I graduate", I exclaim.  
  
"Well, perhaps this is more than a chance encounter...", our eyes meet and he smiles again. I can't help but smile back at him, the coke is now long forgotten.  
  
"You know, I am glad I met you", I say.  
  
"I am too. I really don't schedule in girls, you know. Some guys do, but something about you just made me approach you. Would you like to have dinner with me? I know Nice pretty well. I would like to show you around and there's a little club by the beach..." he says.  
  
"I would love to." I interrupt.   
  
"L'addition s'il vous plait", (bill please).  
  
After paying for our drinks, he stands up and offers me his hand. I take it and without a word, we start walking towards the beach.   
  
We talked all afternoon about school, friends, and the differences between Europe and United States. Through it all, he remained sweet, charming, and surprising humble. I wanted to squeal with joy! 


	3. The dinner

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: To my friend, "Ami", who taught me to understand, if not prefer.   
  
Chapter 3---The Dinner  
  
Darien kissed me goodbye in front of my hotel and told me that he would pick me up at seven o'clock tonight.   
  
No, not a real kiss, silly. They were cheek kisses, a very charming european custom and a great way to establish new "friendships". He didn't invite himself up and he didn't try anything else. I think he already missed his deadline to find someone to make out with for the day (wink).  
  
Sigh...I think I'm in love or at least in like, probably just somewhere in between the two. He's everything I've ever asked for: charming, handsome, six-packed (hehe), intelligent, humble, and he sparks with me. Have you ever had the feeling that something was just so perfect, it had to be a dream. You know, the first bite of that perfect chocolate chip cookie warm from the oven or that magical moment before prom when you looked at yourself and thought that you were a princess. Well, this beats all of my "perfect" moments.  
  
I decide to shower and then nap for a bit in my hotel room, since I have two hours until Darien comes for me.   
  
After my catnap, it is now six o'clock and I realize I have a dilemma. What should I wear? Something dressy? Something casual? Tough decisions...  
  
I finally decide on a light pink dress that I purchased from Paris. It has spaghetti strapes and a drape bodice. The dress is not very tight, but it clings (wink). I put my hair up into two buns and allowed the rest to flow freely. I know it's a strange hairdo, but it gets my hair out of the way when I'm dancing.   
  
knock. knock. I look at my watch. Oh wow, it's already seven o'clock and he's right on time. Of course he would be, he's perfect. (mental shrug) I compose myself and make sure that any urge to giggle like a fourteen year old was safely suppressed before opening the door.   
  
He's wearing a white shirt with black jeans. His black hair is messily styled with gel and along with his ever ready smile and twinkling eyes, I am ready to swoon. Then he hands me a vibrant pink rose along with two soft kisses on my cheeks.   
  
"My mother used to say that roses are very special flowers. Red is for passion. Pink is for romance. Yellow is for friendship. I want all of that with you...but this rose remainded me of you." His fingers lightly trace the petals of my rose, "Anyway, I hope you like it", he finishes with a blush.  
  
I stand there for a while, looking at my rose, it's beautiful. It's a perfect pink, so rich and alive, I think it was sparkling. Finally, I reply with, "Thank you, I love it".  
  
"You look wonderful, the rose matches you well", he says.  
  
"Thank you, you look great too, " I reply.  
  
"Well, shall we go to dinner? There's a restaurant in the old market that serves great creme brulee.", he says.  
  
"I love creme brulee. Ever since I watched Amelie, it's been one of my favorite desserts. How did you know? ", I asks.  
  
"I don't know. A lucky guess?", he shrugs charmingly and grabs my hand. "Let's go!"  
  
"Okay! We're going!", I say laughingly.  
  
The old market is a wonderful place in Nice, full of activity and color, it's the center of town. Darien takes me to a little restaurant that I've never noticed before. It's called, La Vie En Rose (life in pink).   
  
"What a great name for a restaurant! I love it!", I exclaim and I did love it. Everything about the restaurant is promised in its name. The restaurant itself is quite small, but you feel so warm and welcome when you enter it. The walls are covered with soft impressionist paintings and painted a soft, delicate pink, every table is lit by candle light and everyone in the restaurant is smiling.   
  
"I thought you might like it. A lot of tourists miss it but it's really one of the best restaurants in Nice", Darien says quietly as he leads me to my seat.   
  
We order together and it is a comical affair. Between my American French and his Italian French, we manage to get some food. I order chicken and he orders shrimps. The waiter is being very patient with us during this process, I think Darien's Italian French helps more than my American French.   
  
The food arrives shortly and it smells and looks wonderful. Darien teasingly spares a piece of chicken and holds his fork up to me, his eyes are shining challengingly. Since I've never turned down food before, I open my mouth and move towards his fork. Hmmm, that's good chicken, the best I've had. Then in retaliation, I feed him his first bite of fish. The meal continues in this gentle teasing tone. He tells me about his friends and the pranks they pulled together. I tell him about Mina, Lita, Raye, and Ami and all the things we've done together. We laugh over Mina's "helpless cheerleader" act that so many males fallen victim too. I want to cry when he tells me about his parents dying when he was six years old, but I don't. I simply hold his hand and hope that he understands my silence. I think he does.  
  
It's finally time for my favorite part of the meal, dessert. We decid to share a creme brulee. Being the French student, I got to order. "Nous voudrions une creme brulee?" ( we would like a creme brulee), I said. However, all of you french students will understand, the 'r' in French is so difficult to pronounce and look at how many 'r's are in that sentence.  
  
The waiter hears we would like another chicken. "Un autre poulet? D'accord", (another chicken, okay), he says.   
  
"Non, non, creme brulee!", I try to correct him.  
  
"Autre poulet? Oui?", questions the waiter.  
  
Darien steps in finally, he's been laughing hysterically this whole time by the way, not helpful! I guess no one is perfect.   
  
"Monsieur, une creme brulee s'il vous plait", Darien says.  
  
"Ah! Une creme brulee", the waiter exclaims.  
  
I want to kick them both. That's what I've been saying. When the waiter left, I just glare at Darien. He smiles innocently and whisphers, "It's okay, I can't pronounce the 'th' sound in English. So mass and math are the same in my version of English", he winks and squeezes my hand.  
  
How can you resist that! I decide that kicking him after that statement was out of the question. The creme brulee arrives with two little spoons. We both cracke the top with our spoons and dig in. It has a heavenly taste, warm and rich. It's the perfect combination of crust and cream. Mmmmm...  
  
We sit there, enjoying the restaurant, the dessert, and each other for another hour and finally we are both ready to go. He pays for the meal and all of a sudden, he whirls me out of my seat. He spins me around in his arms and dips me. Then he leans down and whisphered, "Ready to dance?"  
  
"Yes", is all I can manage. 


	4. The dance

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: To my friend, "Raye", who I can never live with, but who I know I can always count on.   
  
Chapter 4---The Dance  
  
Somehow, he whirled me out of the restaurant and I am now dancing with Darien to the sultry tune that only we can hear. I don't know if anyone else is watching and I don't care. All I can feel is his heat and our music and the only thing I can do is allow my body to respond to it.   
  
Suddenly, I feel a small tug on one of my pigtails and that is when I realize that we are dancing in the streets. I look down and I see the most adorable little boy. He is wearing a minature tuxedo and a very solemn expression. I try very hard to supress the urge to pinch his cheeks and mess up his perfectly combed hair.   
  
The little boy says in a very serious voice, "Mademoiselle, aimez vous danser avec moi?" (Miss, would you like to dance with me?)  
  
I look for his parents and I see them running towards us with frantic expressions on their faces. I crounch down and answer the little boy with a smile, "Je ne sais pas, monsieur. Est-ce que vous avez besoins de partir avec vos parents maintenant?" (I don't know, sir. Don't you have to leave with your parents now?)  
  
His parents hear this upon arrival and they both look relieved. His mother says, "I am sorry. You are American right? I will speak English. He saw you two and just left us. Sorry."  
  
"No, it's okay", I say.  
  
"Non maman, Je voudrais danser avec la belle mademoiselle." (No mom, I would like to dance with the beautiful lady) The boy has been watching this exchange and he is now protesting.   
  
I look towards Darien for help, but he just shrugs at me and says "I understand him completely."  
  
His mother looks at me pleadingly, so I use my best baby-sitting skills and asks the little boy, "Une danse et apres il faut que vous partiez avec vos parents, d'accord?" (One dance and then you have to leave with your parents)  
  
The boy nods solemnly and bows to me. Of course, by this time, we have gathered quite a crowd, including a group of musician who generally plays at the restaurant. I wink at his parents and Darien and try to make my best curtsy. It must have been good enough, because the little boy's face lit up light a christmas light with his gap toothed grin. The musicians starts to play the Minuet and we start to danse. It is hard to danse with a partner who's much shorter than you. So I decide to pick him up. Carefully, of course, I do not want to wrinkle his tux. I swing him to and fro to the beat of the music and finally, when the last note ends, I set him gently on his feet.   
  
"Merci beaucoup, monsieur. Vous etes un bon danseur." (Thank you very much, sir. You are a good dancer.) I say.  
  
"Merci beaucoup et au revoir, mademoiselle", (Thank you very much and till we meet again, lady) he says.  
  
His parents wave goodbye and I wave back. I finally look at Darien, who is smiling broadly at me and say, "Well, that was quite an adventure."  
  
He just smiles and offers me his arm. I take it and we start walking towards the dance club.   
  
After a minute of comfortable silence, Darien says, "You know, you are very good with children and you danse very well too."  
  
"Only with the right partner, my friend", I say.  
  
"Well, we're here and I hope I'm the right partner for you, because I plan on dancing with you all night." he says.   
  
I look up and there is was, Le Reve (the dream). I can already hear the pulsing music emanating from the club. I look at Darien and decide to reassure him, "I already know you're the right partner for me. I mean that little guy was cute, but it was just a fling", I say with a wink.  
  
He laughs and says, "Well then, let's go dance, just the two of us."  
  
I nod and start to drag them towards the club. 


	5. The nap

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: To my friend, "Lita", who taught me to be competitive with a smile.  
  
Chapter 5--Le Reve  
  
Le Reve, the club Darien and I are entering is like one of my fantasies come true. The one where I'm the most beautiful and sophisticated girl in a room full of beautiful people and I'm with the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. Well, at least part of it is true. Darien is the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen. The club is great, it has a warm polished look to it and everything is made of mahogany and silk. The dance floor shines under dim and sultry lights and music alternates between spanish salsas and american R&B songs. In other words, like everything else this evening, it's wonderful...  
  
Darien has not released my hand yet and I don't want him to. I feel so wonderfully alive and I want to dance so badly. Darien must have been sensing that, because the next thing I know, we're on that beautiful polished dance floor. It's a salsa this time and we are moving beautifully together with our hips swinging, hands clinging, and smiles radiating. My friend, Molly once said, "If you can dance with a guy, you can be with a guy." I hope she's right, because Darien and I can dance. It feels so great to let the music flow through me and for a short period of time, nothing matters except for the music and us. Darien is a great leader and I feel like an instrument that he is skillfully playing, spinning, holding, and caressing. Dancing is a strange addiction to me, it's one of the few times that I truly let go and let someone else take control. Needless to say, that's what makes it feel so great with the right partner. The music ends and Darien slowly dips towards the floor, my body is almost parallel, yet I feel so boneless that it is nearly effortless to bend to him.   
  
He straightens and I move with him. When we are finally standing again, I whispher in his ear, "Thank you Darien, that was fantastic...".  
  
He smiles and tenderly brushes my hair away from my face. "You're welcome, I've never danced like that before".  
  
"I know, no worries about the steps or what your partner's going to do. It's like we cheoreograph it, I always knew what to do. I didn't know what you were going to do, but I didn't need to", I reply.  
  
He smiles again, this time it's the full 100 watt smile that I'm starting to crave. "Let's get a drink!"  
  
I nod and smile back. We order two wates and look for a place to sit. Unfortunately, there's only one open seat. So...we have to share. He sits down and I sit down. On him. He makes a solid and heated seat. (wink). It feels so strange to be sitting there in his lap, perfectly comfortably, even though I've known him for less than 24 hours. He chuckles and says, " As much as I love having gorgeous blonds sit in my lap and strangely, I'm perfectly comfortable. I want to make sure you're okay, becaues I can stand".  
  
I shake my head and hid my face in the crook of his neck as I blush. "No, I'm comfortable here.", I whispher. He puts his hand on my back and without a word soothes me with comforting strokes. We sit there in silence, just listening to the music for five minutes. It's wonderful to be able to enjoy silence with someone. I hope Darien feels the same way.   
  
Suddenly, I am lifted into the air. Startled, I put my arms around his neck and squeak, "DARIEN!".  
  
He just grins and whirls us around before setting me on the floor. "It's my favorite song". The club is playing one of R.Kelly's hits. It's slow, romantic, and a little bit sexy too. I am so close to Darien, my arms are still around his neck and we start moving together to the music. It's a slow dance, a lot of swaying, leaning, sighing, and just a few spins. I can't describe how I feel, so I'll just sigh... sigh  
  
We continued dancing for hours and now it's two o'clock cam around, we have to leave. I am so tired, I lean against Darien for support with my arm around his waist and my head aginst his shoulders. He is tired too, I can tell because he's leaning on me too. Hie arms are around my shoulders and his foot steps are slow and steady, but we are both smiling because we feel wonderful. It's the adjective of the day or should I say date?  
  
He turns and asks, "Can I walk you home?"   
  
"Of course." I reply with a smile as I turn and hug him. "You might have to carry me, my feet are killing me."  
  
I am joking of course, but he takes me seriously. So here I am, at 2AM, being carried home by my studly Italian. I'll probably wake up soon, but meanwhile I'm going to enjoy this. I lean my head against his strong shoulders and put my arms around his neck. He's just so warm and firm...that was my last coherent thought... 


	6. The Kiss

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: To my friend, "Luna", who truly had an inspiringly wonderful first kiss.  
  
Chapter 6 -- The Kiss  
  
It's not a dream. I really am being carried by a studly Italian, my studly Italian, Darien. His shoulder is solid and warm and his hands are firm and gentle as he carries me towards my hotel. I am slowly returning to consciousness and he must realize that, because he looked down at me the moment I opened my eyes.   
  
"Hey there, you're awake...", he whisphers.  
  
"Yeah," I reply blushing, "you don't have to carry me, I can walk now if you want. I'm sorry I fell on sleep you on like that."  
  
He grins, "It's okay, I enjoy carrying beautiful women. It makes me feel so manly".  
  
I laugh at the thought of Darien needing to justify his manliness. "Let's take a detour. I want to walk on the beach".  
  
"Okay". He sets me down slowly and I slid down his body with my arms around his neck. I am blushing because I can feel his heat (not to mention his six pack) and his eyes are on me this whole time.  
  
"Thanks", I whishper as I slowly slide my arms from his neck  
  
"You're very welcome...", he says as he catches my hands in his. His eyes are looking into mine and I am drowning in their blue, turbulent depth. I know that there is so much to him that I don't know, yet I know I understand his core. What's important to him and what makes him smile. I know how to comfort him and I know I want this night to last forever.  
  
"Shall we, my lady?", he says solemnly.  
  
"Certainly, sir.", I reply laughingly.  
  
As we walk hand in hand along the rocky beaches of Nice, a comfortable silence reigns. Each of us are busy with our own thoughts and reflections. The waves are crashing gently seeking to conquer the beach. The cresent moon shines brightly and hangs like a beautiful necklace in a bed of diamond studded velvet.  
  
"Darien, my hotel's right across the street now, let's sit for a while." I say.  
  
"Okay." He sits down and gently pulls me into his lap. I lean against his strong shoulder and chest and I can't help but sigh.  
  
"What's wrong?", he asks.  
  
"Nothing, it's just that I'm leaving tomorrow and I...I really like you Darien and I'm going to miss you.", I say sadly and I hide my face against his shirt.]  
  
"Hey, don't say that. I really like you too and we can keep in touch. I'm coming to California in a few months anyway. We'll be close enough to see each other then", he says.  
  
"Hey, that's right. I almost forgot that. I'm so glad Darien. If nothing else, I hate to lose a friend and maybe...more", I reply shyly.  
  
"Oh, there's no maybes about it, my lovely Serena. It's definitely something more. I've never met anyone like you. You're funny, sweet, beautiful, and my perfect match.', he says sweetly with that gentle smile of his.  
  
Then he tightens his hold on me and starts to lean down. His face is now the only thing I see and his eyes hold me captive. "Serena, may I kiss you?", he asks.  
  
I am not prepared for this situation and the only thing I can manage is a slight nod. It must be enought for Darien, because the next thing I know, his lips are pressed sweetly against mine. A slow heat, like a lovely warm cloud envelope me and my arms slowly creep up around his neck. I open my mouth to gasp in wonder over that lovely feeling and I feel his warm tongue. I feel as if electric shocks are going though my body and I think nothing of being shy or modest. Only feeling and wondering. It feels so good. I finally gather enough courage to mimic his movements with my tongue. His mouth is sweet and slick, tasting of wine and chocolate. I can get addicted to this...  
  
We finally break apart and I lean my head against him in sheer embarrassement.   
  
"Wow", he quietly whisphers, "That was great."  
  
I smile and reply, "Yeah, it was beautiful."  
  
We sit there for a long time, holding each other, talking and occasionally kissing. We even got to watch the sunrise together. I never thought I would be awake for a sunrise, I'm not really a morning person.   
  
It's beautiful, the sun's early rays reflecting the ocean and creating myriads of colors. The reflections are like molten silk, so beautifully smooth and vibrant. I know I'd never forget this night and this sunrise.  
  
With one last meltingly sweet kiss against the back drop of the newly risen sun, we start to cross the street. Darien walks me to my door and says, "Good night, Serena", he then slips a piece of paper into my hands, gives one last hug and a gentle kiss on the check. Then he is gone... 


	7. The End for Now

This Kiss...  
Alternate Universe  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or associated characters.  
  
Dedication: To my monm, who told me never to give up on true love.  
  
Chapter 6 -- The End  
  
Darien's note:  
  
Dear Serena  
I don't know how to describe my night to you. I know rationally that it's too early to talk about love, but like seems like a lame adjective to describe my feelings for you. Perhaps you know one that is somewhere in between the two.   
As I watched the sunrise with you, I realized something. Tonight was a new beginning for me and you are going to be part of my future. I won't say anymore, because I know you understand...  
Your Friend and more, Darien  
P.S. The back contains my address, phone number, and email. Please keep in touch until we can meet again.   
  
Three months later...  
  
I wait anxiously at the San Jose International Airport for Flight UA858 from Rome. I think about that magical night and his note, which I keep inside my pillowcase. I think about our sunrise. I think about the dozens of letters and emails we've exchanged over the last three months and my excitement grows with every thought.   
  
Then I feel a pair of strong and warm arms around me and I know instantly who they belong to.   
  
"DARIEN, you're here!", I shriek and jump into his arms to hold him even tighter.   
  
He laughts and whisphers in my ear, "Bonjour, Serena."   
  
Then he kisses me, my first kiss since our parting and it's even better than I remembered. I melt against him and wrap my arms even tighter around his neck.   
  
When the kiss finally ends, we are both breathless and flushed. I smile and say, "We better go."  
  
We walk off hand in hand, both smiling. Ready for anything now that we have the right partner. 


End file.
